Abstract
Previous investigations of gametophyte development have revealed that intergametophytic interactions strongly influence development (e.g., Naf et al., 1975). Studies of the population biology of seed plants have revealed that basic genetic characteristics such as seed size, germination time, and growth rate can influence interactions among neighbors (Silvertown, 1987). Despite the well known effects of neighbors on gametophyte development (Naf et al., 1975) there are few studies of the effects of basic genetic characteristics such as spore size, germination time, and growth rate on gametophyte development. Schedlbauer (1976) has studied the effects of spore size, germination time, and growth rate on gametophyte development in Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. We used methods similar to those of Schedlbauer to investigate the influence of spore size and germination time on gametophyte development in Ceratopteris richardii Brongn. Previous investigation has revealed that two distinct developmental states occur among gametophytes developing from multispore cultures of C. richardii: small ameristic males and large meristic hermaphrodites (Sayers, unpublished data). Although a small number of vegetative and female gametophytes did occur, they were too rare to be included in any statistical analysis. This investigation thus focussed on large hermaphroditic and small male gametophytes.
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